METRO VANCOUVER - When Amarjit Samra moved to Delta 30 years ago, he found few shops that sold his favourite Punjabi suits and pyjamas, or restaurants that served up an authentic butter chicken.

But a steady stream of immigrants from his homeland in India's Punjab has changed all that. In Metro Vancouver, about 5.5 per cent of the population — 126,000 people — reported Punjabi as the language most often spoken at home in 2011, according to the latest census data released Wednesday.

Samra maintains a good many of those new migrants are moving to areas such Scott Road, on the Surrey and Delta border, home to a rapidly expanding Punjabi Bazaar. The bazaar, just down the road from Samra's A-Class Autobody store, carries traditional favourites that Samra at one time could only get on a visit back to India.

"Definitely there's no doubt the community is growing. There's a lot more shops and people are moving in," Samra said. "There's a lot more East Indian restaurants where you can go and eat, the same as grocery stores ... almost everything you can buy here. It reminds you of a touch of India."

Metro Vancouver is believed to be a popular settling spot for Punjabi speakers because of its established communities, where immigrants can find friends, relatives and a large internal economy. Chris Friesen, director of settlement services for the Immigrant Services Society of B.C., noted unlike the Chinese migrants who live all over Metro, Indian immigrants tend to flock to enclaves in Surrey, Delta or Abbotsford.

He's not sure if this is because there's a critical mass of mainland Chinese spreading across the region, or if Indian migrants have more concerns about housing costs.

However, Samra said he's noticed a difference in those coming here. While he arrived with little money and a hunger to make a better life for himself, many newcomers now are young and well-heeled, bringing with them investment cash from property sales back home. Local parades, he said, are indicative of the rising growth, noting that the crowds have jumped from 30,000 when he first arrived to about 150,000 today.

"There's good change almost everywhere, especially on Scott Road and 128th Street. I feel good about that," Samra said. "I came here to build a better life and I did, there's no doubt about that."

A Radio-Canada reporter has been arrested for alleged criminal harassment while pursuing the subject of a story. According to Radio-Canada, reporter Antoine Trépanier was arrested Tuesday night by Gatineau police. He was released on a promise to appear in court. Trépanier was called by Gatineau police Tuesday evening and an officer requested that he come […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.